Monday, 18 June 2012

Are You a Fan of Apples?

Interesting Facts About Apples
1. What is the scientific name for apples? Aplicus Rosacea

2. The science of apple cultivation is known as Pomology.

3. Where did apples originate from? Apples are said to have originated from a region between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea

4. How many apples does an average person eat in a year? 65.

5. Did you know? Apples come from the Rose family, Rosacea, that’s why they have a rosy aroma!

6. Animals which eat apples include horses, monkeys, chimpanzees, bears, raccoons and rabbits.

7. Horses love munching apples, in addition to sugar cubes which they also love.

8. How heavy was the largest apple ever picked? 3pounds 2 ounces.

9. If you threw an apple in water, it wouldn’t sink – apples float in water! This is because 25% of their volume consists of air.

10. Why should you eat your apples with the skin? Because most of the anti-oxidants in apples, including Quercetin, are found in the skin.

11. Which country produces the largest amount of apples? China.

12. Which states produce the most number of apples in the USA? Washington, New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and California.

13. The largest importers of apples are Russia, Germany and the UK.

14. New York City is nicknamed “the Big Apple.”

15. Apples were designated as the official state fruit for Washington in 1989.

16. Apples were native to Central Asia.

17. Apple trees have a life of over 100 years.

18. The Apple is popularly known as the supposed forbidden fruit of Eden. But this is not mentioned anywhere in the Bible!

19. You can't compare apples with pears.

20. "Your neighbor's apples are the sweetest."

21. "A pear tree cannot bear an apple".

22. The bump at the front of the throat is called Adam’s Apple, which is said to be caused by the forbidden fruit getting stuck in Adam’s throat when he ate it in the Garden of Eden.

23. "Ever since Eve started it all by offering Adam the apple, woman's punishment has been to supply a man with food then suffers the consequences when it disagrees with him." -- Helen Rowland

24. What are the most popular apple varieties in the US? The Red Delicious, the Golden Delicious and the Granny Smith.

25. Which apple varieties originated in Native America? Only one – the Crabapple.

26. During the colonization of Native Americans by Europeans, apples were called winter banana or melt-in-the-mouth.

27. How many calories do apples contain? A medium sized apple contains 80 calories.

28. Apples trees can also be affected by mildew, which leads to a gray powdery coating on leaves.

29. Apples can help you improve your memory.

30. How much fiber does a medium sized apple contain? 4 grams

31. Five small apples contain 15 grams of fibers.

32. The daily requirement of fiber is 25 grams. Apples are amongst the highest sources of fiber.

33. The soluble fiber contained in apples is called pectin, and can help lower cholesterol levels.

34. Apples are cholesterol-free, sodium-free and fat-free.

35. The high quantity of fiber in apples can help fight constipation.

36. Eating an apple before bed can help cleanse your teeth and is said to be able to whiten your teeth.

37. Eating too many apples may cause gas in some people as the soluble fiber contained in it is broken down by bacteria in the small intestines.

38. Apple trees only bear fruits after they reach 5 years of age.

39. In Africa, apples are only grown in the Mediterranean regions.

40. Humans have been eating apples for a while now – from as far as 6500 BC!

41. In the Chinese culture, the word for apples is pronounced as ‘ping’ which also stands for peace. This is why apples are a popular gift to give when visiting someone in China.

42. Apples aren’t true fruits! Botanically speaking, true fruits grow from the ovaries of the flower, yet apples develop from the receptacle of the flower.

43. The average apple has 10 seeds.

44. Isaac Newton is said to have discovered the Law of Gravity when an apple fell on his head!

45. How tall is the average apple tree? Over 40 feet!

46. Dwarf apple trees are much more popular these days, their smaller heights making it easy to prune the branches and harvest the apples.

47. To produce one apple, it takes energy from 50 leaves.

48. The tiniestapple is about the size of a pea while there are some large apples the size of a small pumpkin.

49. Apples are still picked by hand during autumn.

50. The McIntosh apple is the national apple of Canada.

51. It is generally agreed that apples originated from Kazakhstan.
52. The most famous saying involving apples is, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”

53. The original saying in old English adage was, “To eat an apple before going to bed, will make the doctor beg his bread.”

54. The saying, “You are the apple of my eye,” is a romantic phrase often used among beloveds.

55. A bad tree does not yield good apples.

56. Celebrity actress and singer, Gwyneth Paltrow named her first daughter, “Apple.”

57. "The sweeter the apple, the blacker the core. Scratch a lover and find a foe!" - Dorothy Parker

58. Some famous poems involving apples include, “After Apple Picking,” by Robert Frost.

59. Apples were popular in ancient Greece and Rome and were a sign of opulence.

60. In the popular tale, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the Evil Step-mother tries to kill Snow White using a poisoned apple.
61. Being apple to successfully shoot an apple off a child’s head was a feat of marksmanship in bow and arrow.

62. Apple Cider Vinegar is derived from the fermentation of apple must and is a brownish yellow color.

63. Apples can be grown by two methods; budding and grafting.

64. It takes about 36 apples to create one gallon of apple cider.

65. Freshly pressed apple juice immediately turns brown upon contact with air because of oxidation.

66. A nifty trick to prevent fresh apple juice from turning brown is to add a few squeezes of lemon juice or lime juice. This helps prevent oxidation.

67. In literature, apples are used to symbolize a wide variety of meanings including temptation, immortality and reincarnation.

68. Apples are also said to symbolize health, love and fertility.

69. Apple blossoms are a symbol of feminine beauty.

70. Italy is among the top 5 producers of apples.

71. Apples ripen five to six times slower when kept in the refrigerator than when left at room temperature.

72. The Apple Macintosh was named so as it was the favorite apple of the head of the team that created the computer, Jef Raskin.

73. Some fruits which have the word apple in them include custard apple and pineapple.

74. Apple juice in young children may cause diarrhea.

75. Are apples a brain food? Yes! Apples contain high levels of boron, which stimulates electrical activity of the brain and increases mental alertness.

76. Apples may not be rich in calcium, but its high levels of boron make it a great food to prevent osteoporosis and strengthen bones.

77. Apples have the ability to boost estrogen levels in menopausal women to a great extent.

78. The flowers of the apple tree are called apple blossoms.

79. Apple blossoms are pinkish in color but they turn white as they get older.

80. Apple blossoms are fertilized through cross pollination.
81. Honey bees are the most important pollinators of apple blossoms.

82. In ancient Rome, apples were regarded as luxury fruits.

83. There are more than 8,000 varieties of apples – the largest variety of fruit to exist.

84. "Why do we need so many kinds of apples? Because there are so many folks. A person has a right to gratify his legitimate taste." -- Liberty Hyde Baily

85. Apples come in a variety of colors from lime green to golden yellow to burgundy and chocolate brown.

86. The Turks eat the most number of apples per person in the world.

87. Turkey is among the highest producers of apples in the world.

88. Some of the pests that affect apple trees are aphids.

89. "When the apple is ripe it will fall." -- Irish proverb

90. The Roman Goddess Pomona is the goddess of apples.
91. In Norse mythology, the goddess of youth, Idun was believed to grow magic apples that kept the gods youthful.

92. People who love apples are said to be outspoken, charismatic and enthusiastic.

93. Apple seeds contain a cyanide compound.

94. No, it’s not that easy to die from the cyanide in apple seeds. The tiny amount of poison is locked away inside the hard seed coat and may pass through your digestive system intact.

95. "Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton was the one who asked why." - Bernard M. Baruch

96. The fear of apples is known as Malusdomesticaphobia.

97. This phobia gets its name from the scientific name of apples, which is Malus domestica in the Rose family (Rosaceae)

98. Apples are one of the most popular juices taken with breakfast in the United States.

99. An apple shaped body type is where most of the body fat is stored around the waist and belly, the middle of the abdomen.

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